Fence post driver



May 16, 1944.

C. E. JORDAN ETAL FENCE POST DRIVER Filed March 11, 1941.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Attorney May 16, 1944. c'. E. JORDAN ETAL FENCE POST DRIVER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 11, 1941 Inventor Jar/e; a War J Jzr'dd n Zew' 1.7175714 y [I a Attorney C. E. JORDAN ETAL May 16, 1944.

FENCE POST DRIVER Filed March 11, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 16, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FENCE POST DRIVER Charles Edward J ordan Dawson, and Levi L. Jordan, Oskaloosa, Iowa Application March 11, 1941, Serial No. 382,826

8 Claims.

ment of this character.

Another important object of our invention is to provide an arrangement of the character indicated above which is especially adapted for operative mounting on a truck, with the hammer lifting mechanism operatively connected to a power source on the truck.

Other important objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein for purposes of illuspart of a truck showing the same equipped in accordance with the present invention with the fence post driving means.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view looking from left to right in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken through Figure 4 along the line 5-5 and looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates the floor of a suitable truck body or chassis having a generally rectangular framework 6 secured .thereon and mounting on the upper side members 1 thereof in suitable bearings a transverse horizontal shaft 8 which includes the relatively large sprocket wheel 9 and the relatively small sprocket wheel Ill. A drive sprocket chain H is trained over the larger sprocket wheel 9 and over a power take-off (not shown) on the truck, of which several types are conventionally available.

One of the horizontal side members I of the framework 3 is extended beyond the rear end of the framework 6 as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings by the numeral l2, and a companion extension i3 is mounted at I4 on the transverse upper member l5 at the rear of the framework 6.

Horizontal pivots it connect the rear ends of the extensions l2 and 13 to vertical guide bars I1 and I8, respectively, which extend substantially the full height of the guide'structure to be described. To the front of the guide bars I! and I8 are bolted or riveted or otherwise suitably secured as indicated by the numeral IS a substantially plane front plate 20 which extends substantially the full height of the guide bars. To the front side of the guide bar I! is secured a laterally inwardly projecting flange plate 2| which is substantially plane and has a major portion thereof extending in rearwardly spaced relation to the front face of the plane plate 20 as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings. This flange plate 2| is secured in place by the fastening means I9 already mentioned. Similarly fastened to the rear face of the guide bar I8 is an angle iron plate 22 which has a portion similar to the flange plate 2| extending in parallel spaced relation to the front face of the plane plate 20, and the angle-shaped portion 23. A sufficient opening 24 is provided in the plane front plate 20 for efiective engagement of the fibre or similar material clutch pulley 25.

The hammer consists of a plain vertically elongated plate-like bar 26 to slide in the guideway provided by the plane plate 20 and the guide bars H and I8 and the retaining flanged members 2| and 22 as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings. The upper part of the bar 26 has the weighted rectangular cross section mallet 21 afiixed thereto by bolts 28 or similarly adequate means, with the heads of the belts or the like flush so as not to interfere with the smooth action of the hammer. The mallet 21 is slidably guided and confined by the adjacent walls of the channel-shaped part 23 of the guide element 22, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. Attached to the opposite sides of the guideway or to the plates 21 and 22 are the opposite legs of a retaining bail 29 which is adapted to be placed over the upper end of the hammer to hold the same down in place while the device is being transported, the bail being adapted to be placed in the disengaged position illustrated in Figure 4 while the device is in use.

Secured to the front of the opposite marginal edges of the plane plate 28 arevertically spaced pairs of brackets 35, 3| and 32. Pivoted at 33 by its upper end to the bracket 30 is a forwardly declining link 34 which is pivoted at 35 to a normally horizontal link 36 and the upper end of a vertical link 31, the link 36 being pivoted at its rear end at 38 on the bracket 3!. The lower end of the long vertical link 31 is pivoted at 39 to the upper end of a L-shaped crank 40 Which comprises angularly related links 40', 40" pivoted together, as at 46". The links 40 is fixed on the shaft ll to which a hand crank or lever 42 is rotatably connected. As indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the described linkages are duplicated at opposite sides of the plate 25, both linkages being located within the extensions l2 and I3 of the framework 5, and the long vertical links 3'! carrying between them the friction pulley shaft 43 on which is mounted the fibre or other suitable material clutch or friction pulley 25 which has the slightly convexed contour indicated in Figure 3 for effective frictional engagement with the adjacent surface of the plate element 26 of the hammer. The pulley sprocket wheel 44 from which is trained the sprocket chain 45 which is, in turn, trained over the relatively small sprocket wheel ill on the framework 6.

By reason of the arrangements described, the power connection of the truck operating the sprocket wheelB and hence the sprocket wheel [5, the friction or clutch pulley 25 is in continuous operation in a clockwise direction as seen in Figure 4. Normally the hand lever or crank 52 is in such a position that the pulley 25 is disengaged from the hammer. However, operatio of the hand crank in the proper direction will through the described links 48', Mi swing the links 3? on the pivots 35 to bring the pulley 25 into engagement with the hammer bar 26 so as to exert an upward push on the hammer which is effective to lift the hammer from a depressed position to an elevated operative position from which it drops upon the fence post or the like (not shown) to drive the same into the ground.

The brackets 38 aredesigned to be adjusted on the plate 29, in any suitable manner, to adjust the described linkage and take up wear in the pivotal connections thereof.

In addition to the flange plates 21 and 22, the guideway assembly comprises a pair of rollers 45 and 47 which are mounted on suitable brackets 48' and 49, respectively, secured to the rear side of the flange plates 2| and 22 as illustrated in Figure 50f the drawings, suitable openings 50 and respectively, being provided to permit the rollers 46 and 43? to engage the marginal portions of the plate 2i: of the hammer in opposition to the friction pulley 25, with which the rollers are in substantial horizontal alignment.

By the means described, the vertical movement of the hammer is facilitated under the action of the pulley 25, due to the reduction of friction of the guideway. It is obvious that manual .operation of the hand lever 62 may predetermine the degree of operative engagement of the pulley 25 with the hammer, as may also determine the height to which the hammer is lifted on each lifting operation. Following a lifting operation, with the fencepost or the like inserted in place below the mallet portion 2'! of the hammer, the hand lever 42 is simply operated slightly in the release direction, and the hammer drops by gravity to forcethe fence post or the like on its way into positionin the ground. The dotted '15 shaft 43 has fixed thereon the relatively. small lines in Figure 4 of the drawings ,show varied positions of the friction pulley 25 and its operating linkages in different positions of the hand lever 42.

A bar 52 is horizontally hinged at 53 to the plate 20 and extends forwardly alongside of one of the rear vertical members of the framework 6. The bar 52 has holes 54 to selectively accept a pin 55 on the said member whereby the hammer may beheld in a selected angular position relative tosaid framework.

Although We have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be definitely understood that we do not wish to limit the application of the invention thereto, except asmay berequired by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Havingdescribed the claimed as new is:

1. A .fence post driver comprising a support, a vertical guideway mounted on said support,

invention, what is said guideway comprising a c-shaped channel, a hammer comprising a relatively wide vertically, elongated. plate having its marginal portions.

slidably confined'in the opposite sides of said channel, said'hammer' further comprising a vertically elongated block secured to said plate and projecting laterally outwardly through the space between the edges of the open sideof said channel, the web of the channel opposite said openr ing being formed with an.opening,, a friction I wheel carried bysaid guideway-f or movement a i into and out of engagementwith said plate of the hammer to elevate said hammer when en-.. gaged with the plate and permit the hammer to fall from an. elevated position when disengaged from said-plate, operating means for moving,

said friction-roller into and out of engagement with-the said plate, anddriving means on said, support and operatively connectedv for driving,

said friction wheel.

2. A fence post driver according to.claim 1 wherein anti-friction rollersare-mounted on said i channel to extend through openingsformed in" the spaced portions formingthe said-open side of the channel to rollably-bear againstthe said marginal portions of the plate of the hammer in opposition-to. said. friction-roller.

3. A fence post driver comprisinga'support,

a hammer comprising a fiat driver bar. endwise...

movable vertically,- and an elongated, rectang-u lar mallet fixed on the upperend portion. ,of ,said.

bar in parallel centered relation thereto guideway forming means for said hammercompris v ing a pairof upstanding spaced apart guide bars, a plate extending along said pair of bars 'onfone.

side thereof,v and a pair of spaced ,.apart..plates said driver'bar. upwardly,

CHARLES EDWARD JORDAN. LEVI '1]. JORDAN. I 

